Jaws (Film)
"You'll Never Go Back in the Water Again" '-TAGLINE' Jaws was a 1975 film based on the novel by Peter Benchleyhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jaws_(novel), directed by Steven Speilberg, produced by Richard D. Zanuck and David Brown (Zanuck Brown) staring Roy Scheider as Martin Brody, Robert Shaw as Quint, and Richard Dreyfuss as Matt Hooper. It is a natural horror involving Sharks killing people on Independence Day. Plot On Amity Island, 1974,Teens are having a beach party, when one girl, named Chrissie Watkins runs off to go swimming, followed by a boy named Tom Cassidy. Chrissie jumps in and begins to swim, all while drunk Cassidy struggles to take his shoes off. While Cassidy has passed out on the beach, Chrissie begins to get pulled around on something, and she is dragged down into the sea, as it becomes red with blood. Martin Brody, chief of police on Amity Island wakes up, and his wife, Ellen Brody, tells him his kids are outside playing in the yard. While Michael Brody, the older son of Martin and Ellen walks in with blood on his hand, Martin gets a phone call, and he says that he would go to the station straight away. When he arrives he uses a type writer to write a report on Chrissie Watkins. It read: "SUPPOSED CAUSE OF DEATH: SHARK ATTACK". Leonard Hendricks Deputy, invites Brody to the beach, to see the half-body of Chrissie Watkins,covered in sand and Crabs. Brody attempts to close the beach, but Mayor Larry Vaughn refuses since it is soon to be the fourth of July. The Medical examiner, pressured by Vaughn, goes to say she was killed in a boating accident. At the beach, sometime before 4th of July, Martin, Ellen, Sean and Michael Brody are out at the beach. Martin Brody is incredibly on edge, as even the slightest thing that resembles a shark attack scares him. Alex Kitner, a young child is caught in a shark attack, and dies. Following that, his mother, Identified only as Mrs. Kitner, places a bounty on the shark that killed Alex. A meeting is organised, and Martin was an ambassador to Mrs. Kitner from Vaughn. Vaughn and Meadows joke about the event, offending Mrs. Kitner. Brody explains to everyone that while the shark is being hunted, the beach will be closed. Vaughn can tell people are angry, so he adds "for 24 hours" which Martin notes was not part of the deal, but even after the time is shortened people are still angry, and there is shouting amongst everyone, and Vaughn can't catch their attention,but there is a screeching sound,and everyone looks over, quiet, to see Sam Quint, local fisherman scratching a blackboard. He explains that he will find the shark for $3,000 but catch it and kill it for $10,000. Vaughn calls of the meeting but doesn't accept Quint's offer. The next day, Brody is walking through and sees loads of fishermen, hired by Vaughn, lead by a guy called Benjamin Gardener. He sees a young bearded man with a beanie and tells him to tell the fishermen they shouldn't have so many people on that small boat. Brody walks in to a building and tells Hendricks that he should stop them, since they're his people, but Hendricks explains they aren't his people, and their license plates showed many different states. The Bearded man comes inside and asks where Brody is, and Brody asks who he is, so he reveals that he is Matt Hooper, marine biologist. Brody called him in, so he reveals that he is indeed Brody. Martin takes Hooper to the body of Chrissie Watkins, which he examines. At the end, he comes to the conclusion that it wasn't a boating accident, it was indeed a shark attack. Later on, Ben Gardner and his team come back with a dead shark, which Vaughn is extremely happy about (He can still get tourists on the 4th of July) So Brody, Gardner, and the others pose for a photo, taken by Meadows for the paper. Afterwards, Hooper identifies the shark as a tiger shark, but asks for a radius on the Jaws. He measures it and finds that it probably wasn't the shark that killed Kitner, and for sure not the one who killed Watkins, So Hooper requests to Vaughn and Brody to cut open the Tiger Shark's stomach, (Since it has a slow digestive system, so whatever it's eaten will still be there), but Vaughn refuses to do it in public. That same evening, Brody invites Hooper to come to his house, where they have a quick drink, before heading of to find the Tiger Shark's body. When they do, Hooper cuts upon the stomach of the shark containing only fish and a license plate. Afterwards they go out to sea, and eventually see what they identify as Ben Gardner's boat, and they wonder what happened to him. Hooper goes down in, in a scuba suit to see what happened. He notices some damage to the hull, in the form of a massive hole, and in that hole, was a shark's tooth. He picks it up, identifying it as carcharadon carcharius, or Great White. However the head of Ben Gardner pops up, scaring Hooper,causing him to drop the tooth. Without the tooth, they cannot prove to Vaughn there is still a shark out there, and he keeps the beach open. On the 4th of July, tourists come running in to Amity, much to Vaughn's delight, and he even appeared on the news, claiming they'd killed the shark. Many tourists came to Amity Island, which does make Vaughn happy, but he notices everyone is on the beach, so he encourages someone he knows to go out to water. When he goes in the water, everyone else does. When suddenly Brody notices a fin, which the lifeguards also see. The Lifeguards get everyone out of the water on to the beach. The lifeguards are now aiming guns at them when sudddenly, the shark's "body" pops up, and two kids swim up outta the water. Hooper, assisting the guard, uses a walkie-talkie to contact Brody, telling him it was a hoax. Brody calls false alarm. Directly afterwards a girl calls out "Shark! Shark in the pond!" which at first Brody dismisses as probably a hoax, he runs over after being told by Ellen that Michael is in the pond. Michael is with his freinds on a canoe, when a man in a small boat comes over. Michael and his freinds, as well as the man fall off their respective boats, and the man is eaten by the great white. Michael narrowly avoids the attack, and passes out, but his freinds pull him up the beach, Martin and Ellen Brody running after him. At first, Ellen thinks he's dead, but Martin informs her he's just in shock. In hospital, where Michael Brody is, an angry Martin Brody walks through to Larry Vaughn and gives him Quint's contract. At first, Larry refuses to sign it, but in the end he is persuaded. The next day Brody and Hooper arrive at Quint's home, and they agree. At first Quint still wants to go but Brody just tells everyone to get along. After Brody says goodbye to his wife, they set off. At first, there are struggles between Hooper and Quint, and they don't ever get along, but Brody kind of stays out of all of it. Whilst Brody is laying out Chum markers, he notices Jaws popping up from the water, He comes in and tells Quint he's gonna need a bigger boat. Hooper ties up a flotation barrel and Quint fires the harpoon. Hooper sees that the barrel is still moving,and quint explains he didn't get a headshot. Later, in the evening, Quint, Brody and Hooper go out into the cabin. Hooper and Quint drink while Brody rubs his forehead, Quint reassures him by saying " Don't worry cheif, It won't be permanent, wanna see something permanent?" Quint takes the cap off his tooth (He suggests that he was undercut) He tells hooper to feel his forehead, and there is a lump from St. Patty's day. Hooper shows Quint his scar, from a moray eel that bit through his wet suit. Quint shows that he can't extend his arm because a "big Chinese fellow" knocked him over in an arm wrestling contest, so Hooper showed Quint his leg, with a scrape from a bull shark, and Quint shows Hooper his leg, with a scar from a Thrasher. Brody asks Quint what the scar on his arm is,and he explains that it was a tattoo that was removed, and at first Hooper laughs at it, but Quint explains it was the USS Indianapolis. The Japanese Navy slammed it with Torpedoes. He, and his fellow soldiers fell into the water, with only lifejackets. Tiger Sharks gradually picked the men off taking those 300 down to just a mere sixteen. Directly after, the great white shark attacks. The next day, The Great White Attacks again. Hooper and Quint are trying to work out a way to kill him while Brody goes into the cabin to make a phone call to the coast guard, but before he can complete Quint smashes the phone. Quint finally agrees to allow Hooper to go in the cage. When he finally gets his Scuba Gear on, Brody and Quint lower the cage. Hooper sees the shark, so he pulls the cap off his venom rod, and attempts to kill the shark, but when he bashes the cage, he dropped the rod, and it drifted away. The Great white attacks all of the boat, destroying it almost, Quint falls down and is bitten to death, so Brody shoves a gas cannister into the shark's mouth, and climbs to the mast. Brody picks up a gun and shoots the tank, killing the shark. Hooper pops up from the water, and the two use the barrels to swim back to shore. Cast and Crew https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0073195/fullcredits?ref_=tt_cl_sm#cast Crew Director - Steven Speilberg Writers - Peter Benchley, Carl Gotlieb Music Composer - John Williams Director of Photography - Bill Butler Film Editor - Verna Feilds Prodution Designer - Joseph Alves Jr. Set Design - John M. Dyer. Credited Cast (In Billing Order) Martin Brody - Roy Scheider Quint - Robert Shaw Matt Hooper - Richard Dreyfuss Ellen Brody - Lorraine Gary Larry Vaughn - Murray Hamilton Frank Meadows - Carl Gotlieb Lenard Hendricks - Jeffery Kramer Chrissie Watkins - Susan Backline Tom Cassidy - Johnothan Filley Estuary Victim - Ted Grossman Michael Brody - Chris Rebello Sean Brody - Jay Mello Mrs. Kitner - Lee Fiero Alex Kitner - Jeffery Vorhees Ben Gardner - Craig Kingsbury Medical Examiner - Dr. Robert Nevin Interveiwer - Peter Benchley Uncredited Cast (In Alphabetical order of Surname) Beach Infant - Tim Aguirre Out of Towner - Chris Anastasio Beach Guitarist - John Bahr Victim - Jean Canha Man With Goff - Edwin C. Carlson Felix - Henry Cerarreioreo Mr Polk - Robert Carrol Mr Denherder - Edward Chalmers Jr. Charlie - Robert Chambers Mrs. Taft - Fritzi Jane Courtney Hippie on the beach - David Daniel Gregory S. Dole - Sonar Operator Cyprian R. Dube - Posner Stephen Earle - Converted man Robert Eddins - Screaming Swimmer David Engelbeach - Research assitant Dorothy Feilds - Katy (Deleted Scene Only) Francis Frank - Boat Rental Bro Brandon Gallagher - Man with Dynamite Elzabeth Gifford - Island Wife Willis Gifford - Man Alston Goff - Lynforrd shop keeper Paul Gollart - Clarinet Player in Music Store (Deleted Scene Only) Beardsly Graham - Mainlander Eleanor L. Harvey - Motorboat Skipper Mike Hadyn - Bonfire Guitarist Richard Hewitt - Walter Carla Hogendyk - Artist Wally Hooper Jr. - Harry Janice Hull - Lady Fisherman Stephanie Hull - Swimming Girl Wayne Ianco - Spotter Duncan Inches - Townsperson Jospeh Kraetzer - Local Merchant Joe La Crata - Barwood William Lymon - Ensign Belle McDonald - Mrs. Posner John Moffet - Man at Bonfire with Mustache Phil Murray - Mr Taft Philip Norton - Mr. Stands William O' Gorman - Man With Dynamite Joseph Oliviera - Swimmer Dennet Paula - Woman At Beach William Pfulger - Sailboat Skipper Donald Poole - Frank Silva Steven Potter - Man with Dog Beverly Powells - Topless Swimmer Ann Ruyman - Nurse Christopher Sands - Life Guard Henry Scott - Man with Rifle Peggy Scott - Polly John Searle - Converted Man Harry Shearer - Beachgoer Steven Speilberg - Amity Station Life Point Operator (Voice Only) Rex Tailor - Scout Master Hershel West - Salvatore Dick Young - Pratt Development "I, Essentially saw a block of paper, that said Jaws. And I thought, "Jaws? What it is it... about a dentist?" it was a very strange word, Jaws, Jaws." - Steven Speilberg Conception For Years, Peter Benchley thought about a story about a shark that would attack a boat and not go away,but he didn't do anything about it. In 1964, Peter Benchley read a newspaper story about a man who caught a 20-foot long white shark, and he thought about what might happen if one of those attacks and doesn't go away. In 1970, a publisher said they would pay him to finally get the idea on paper. Producers Dick Zanuck and David Brown discovered Jaws at 'Identical Times'. David Brown saw a description of the upcoming novel in the Fiction department of the Cosmopolitan magazine, and he said, "Might Make A Good Movie." Peter Benchley, who was the book's author, was hired as as screen writer, and Dick Richards was hired as director. Dick Richards' idea for the opening scene was "you see in the water, which zooms out to the beach and you see the town, and then the whale comes out." Dick Zanuck and David Brown fired Richards saying "We're not making Moby Dick". Afterwards, Zanuck/Brown hired Steven Speilberg, who had worked on many short films such as Amblin' and some TV films such as DUEL. Steven Speilberg originally thought it was about a Dentist. he read the blurb and thought it sounded similar DUEL, just underwater. He thought "Jaws" has 4 letters, "DUEL" has 4 letters, and they're both about leviathans who want to kill every man. He didn't know what to do, because this wasn't the movie he wanted to direct next. He read the script on a weekend, and then wrote it out himself. Although nothing he wrote was used, he said it was a good exercise to familarise himself with the story. Casting David Brown said he and the crew's mindset was that the shark was the star, and that they don't need famous actors, just skilled ones. These are the stories behind the casting of every character. Murray Hamilton as Vaughn From the beginning, Speilberg knew that Mayor Larry Vaughn would be played by Murray Hamilton. Steven Speilberg knew Hamilton from many films but loved his performance in 'The FBI Story'. Lorraine Gary as Ellen Brody According to Steven Speilberg, the only character who was played by an actor that he thought of from the beginning was Lorraine Gary as Chief Brody's wife, Ellen. Speilberg actually knew Gary from the Made-For-TV Movie "The Marcus Nelson Murders'. In the aforementioned film, Speilberg found Gary's performance so natural and so realistic that he needed to use her skills in the film. It's also worth noting that Gary was the wife of the president of MCA inc. and Universal Studios, Sidney Sheinberg. It's known that Sheinberg demanded Gary have a bigger role for Jaws 2, which means he could have pushed for her appearance in the first jaws film. Roy Scheider as Martin Brody Steven Speilberg was looking for many different Actors to play Brody, but the main person he was looking for was Charlton Heston. He discussed the film with Heston, and he wanted to play the part. Speilberg eventually decided against hiring Heston as Brody, since his "Saving the day" role in many movies such as 'Airport 1975' and 'Earthquake'. Other actors, such as Steve McQueen all turned down the role. At a dinner party, Roy Scheider attended alongside Speilberg. Scheider's agent went to go speak to Speilberg, and after they left, Scheider overheard Speilberg and Tracy Keenan Wynn talking about Jaws. He came and said, "What About me?" Steven Speilberg then said "You'd be a great Cheif Brody." Speilberg actually liked Scheider's performance from 'The French Connection' , but was worried since in that movie, and many others, Scheider potrays a 'Tough Guy' character. Speilberg was ultimately happy with Roy's Performance Richard Dreyfuss as Matt Hooper Steven Speilberg and the rest of the crew weren't sure who should play Hooper. Speilberg offered the role to Kelvin Klein. He was enthusiastic and agreed mentioning that he knew an oceanographer and thought he could play one, which made Speilberg remove him from the cast saying, "I don't want or need someone who knows an oceanographer. I need someone who is and Oceanographer." As Speilberg remained unsure about the role of Hooper, he spoke with George Lucas. Lucas suggested that they use Richard Dreyfuss because he worked with him on the hit film 'American Graffiti'. Speilberg discussed the film with Dreyfuss, and explained the plot. Dreyfuss turned it down with the words, "It sounds like a great movie. I would love to watch this movie, but not make it." Dreyfuss said this since so many scenes involved Boats and the water. The film Dreyfuss was working on at the moment was the 1974 adaptation of the novel "The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravits" Dreyfuss was in the film as the titular and main character for the first time, and as he watched the movie for the first time, he hated his performance so much that he had to join Speilberg for Jaws to give himself credibility. Richard Dreyfuss later said, "I essentially came crawling ''back to JAWS" 'Robert Shaw as Quint.''' Lee Marvin was director Steven Spielberg's first choice for the role of Quint, despite his reservations about using big-name actors. Marvin thanked him but replied that he would rather go fishing. Spielberg then wanted Sterling Hayden for the role of Quint. Hayden, however, was in trouble with the Internal Revenue Service for unpaid tax. All of Hayden's income from acting was subject to a levy by the IRS, so there was an attempt to circumvent that; Hayden was also a writer, so one idea was to pay him union scale for his acting and buy a story from him (his literary income was not subject to levy) for a large sum. It was concluded that the IRS would see through this scheme, so Robert Shaw was cast by Spielberg instead on the recommendation of the film's producers, Zanuck and Brown. Robert Shaw was reluctant to take the role of Quint since he did not like the book, but decided to accept at the urging of both his wife, actress Mary Ure, and his secretary-"The last time they were that enthusiastic was From Russia with Love (1963). And they were right." Robert Shaw based his performance on fellow cast member Craig Kingsbury, a local fisherman, farmer, and legendary eccentric, who was playing fisherman Ben Gardner. Steven Spielberg described Kingsbury as "the purest version of who, in my mind, Quint was", and some of his offscreen utterances were incorporated into the script as lines of Gardner and Quint. Another source for some of Quint's dialogue and mannerisms, especially in the third act at sea, was Vineyard mechanic and boat-owner Lynn Murphy. Reception and Legacy Jaws is regarded as the first ever Modern Blockbuster. Most consider it a film classic, an important part of film history, one of the first big shark films, with 8/10 on IMDb, 98% on Rotten Tomatoes, 87% on Metacritic. The success of the first film attracted many more tourists to Martha's Vineyard, Amity's Filming location, and The Orca washed on the shore,but people destroyed it. The Fandom of jaws call themselves Fin Fans, and the name geiven to the prop used for Jaws, was bruce, named after Speilberg's Lawyer, inspiring the Shark in Disney's "Finding Nemo" To have the name Bruce. Zanuck and Brown created three sequels, none of which where directed by Speilberg. The film franchise has many Promotional items, including Novelisations, Comic Adaptaions, source books, Action Figures, Funko Collectibles, and Documentaries. Notes and References Media Images and Posters Category:Films